Homecoming
by queenfluffernutter
Summary: Okay, so I needed to put out there what *I* want to happen - I know that this is not what does, but, darnit! A girl can dream...
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Don't own it, wish I did, but no dice. Fun to write with though, thanks!**_

He was sure that the TARDIS had brought him here for some reason, but he had no idea what that was. He looked around before stepping out fully, not seeing anything but the still night before him. And Powell Estates. _How odd._ He thought, pushing hands into his pockets and walking away from the blue box.

It was only just last week in his memory that Donna had left him. Called after a man she had seen and then just disappeared into the night, not so much as a thank you or anything. Just the one shouted name – Lee – and then, the back of Donna Noble.

He had hated to see her go, but knew that she would at some point. He just never thought it would be that way at all. He figured there would be shouting at him and angry tears and many other things that occurred between the two of them in the past. Not just slipping out the door. She had even left her bags in her room. The TARDIS had been sure to tell him that much.

The air was a bit crisp, and the Doctor looked around for any clue as to the date. He spotted a newspaper rolled in a doorway and bent to look. "December Twenty-third, 2010."

He thought for a moment. That would put it three and a half years after the Battle of Canary Wharf. That would also mean that there was no Jackie, no Mickey, no Rose Tyler here to run out to greet him. Hanging his head a bit, he remembered that there was a good little chip shop around the corner and decided to pop in for a bite.

His hands were stuffed in his pockets as he rounded the corner and walked to the little stand he had frequented with Rose on the rare occasions when they would visit her mother – at his insistance, of course. Jackie really had no idea how hard it was for the Doctor to tear Rose away from adventure to go and visit her mother. He laughed a bit remembering the last time he'd had to talk her into it.

Without warning, he was at the stand and he stood behind a couple who were holding hands and nuzzling one another. The male of the couple looked oddly familiar and he cleared his throat, hoping that he would be noticed. The man turned around and for the brief second that he saw the face, the Doctor knew exactly who was standing in front of him.

"Why, Mickey Smith! Fancy meeting you here!" He clapped the other man in the back.

Mickey turned instantly at the sound of his voice, as did the woman he was with. The Doctor made a quick note that she was not Rose, and grinned widely at him.

"No way!" Mickey exclaimed, grabbing the Doctor into a hug. "It's been a long time, mate!"

"Sure has! Who is this, then?" He broke the embrace and inclined his head toward Mickey's friend as he set his hands in his pockets and rocked back on the balls of his feet.

"Oh, you remember Trisha Delaney?"

"Not really, but I'll bet this is her…"

"Yep."

There was an awkward silence as the two men could think of nothing better to do than shuffle their feet and gaze at the ground.

It was Mickey who broke the silence first. "Well, yeah, uh, we're engaged. You should come see us some time. That is, if you are going to be here for a while." He scribbled his number on a napkin and pressed it into the Doctor's hand before taking his order and wrapping his free arm around Trisha's waist.

"Yeah." The Doctor watched them go away before stepping up to the counter himself and getting a large order of the chips to go. It was ready for him in a short while and he took them, still steaming and wandered around to look in the shops he and Rose had looked in only a few years ago. There was the dress shop where she had held his arm and pointed and talked about the dress she had worn to a dance with a bloke named Jimmy Stone – a man she didn't like to talk about much.

He walked a while more, popping chips into his mouth as he did so, the snow starting to fall on him. He was looking ahead, and almost didn't notice that he was standing directly in front of Henrik's Department Store. The place where he and Rose had first met, had their first run together, first held hands. He hadn't even realized that he had begun to cry until he felt the wet on his cheeks that was, most certainly, not melting flakes of snow.

He reached in his pocket for something to wipe them with and came up with the napkin Mickey had written his number on. Opening it so that he could tear it in half and use it, he saw that, in fact, it was not a phone number, but, rather, it was a note for the Doctor:

_Henrik's Department Store._

Three little words that meant the universe to the man in the brown trenchcoat. He peered in the window at the shopgirls who were folding endless stacks of jumpers and jeans – the ones who were dutifully hanging socks on pegs. The one who was behind the counter, leaned on it in boredom, chewing gum and winding her hair around her first finger and peering at it as she did so. That is, until one of the other women began to talk to her and she smiled, poking her tongue between her teeth.

He felt his hearts leap in his chest and it was all he could do not to leap through the glass right then and there. He walked, rather quickly, to the front of the store and opened the door. Once he was inside, he realized that he had no plan on what to do next. He looked about for a moment before heading to the socks – a place where he could watch the counter and not be seen.

She was presently ringing up a woman who was clearly talking with her hands – about nothing at all. The prattle was starting to get on his nerves and he retreated to another part of the store where he wouldn't have to listen to it.

He wandered near a display of shoes and feigned interest when a salesperson started watching him. Finally, after wandering for about an hour, he mustered up the courage he needed to walk to the counter and talk to her, only to find her gone.

"Excuse me," he spoke to the girl that was now standing there. "But where did the woman who was working here go?"

"Oh, you must mean Miss Tyler." He nodded. "She went for lunch."

"Would you know where?"

"Miss Tyler usually goes to that little chip shop just down the street. The lot of us do." She leaned on the counter and popped her gum at him, smiling.

He eyed her suspiciously and thanked her before going back out and to where he had started.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER:_ As before, still don't own the characters, only the thoughts behind the story. _**

He had scarcely gotten to the small stand when he saw her, blonde hair tucked into her coat collar, something he always thought of as uniquely Rose. His breath caught in his throat and his hearts began beating in wildly different rhythms. Here, within viewing distance, was the woman he had left on a parallel world, unable to tell his feelings to. He was getting a second chance, and now, even with all the places he had been, all the times he had lain awake at night trying to take everything back and make a deal with time and space to get her back, he had no idea what to say to her. He found himself wondering if he should just get back in the TARDIS and go on his way. After all, she seemed to be back to a normal life without him.

And then, she turned. It was almost too much for him. She didn't look any different to him than she had three years ago. Her hair was the same, her eyes as beautiful. She looked through him as she turned back to her destination. He thought he had lost her and was about to go back to the TARDIS when he saw her whip back around. She stared at him, mouth agape. He smiled at her and began walking toward her as she was him.

"Doctor?" She asked, quickening her pace, a little bolder now. "Doctor? Is that really you?"

He stopped advancing to nod. Nod and smile. Smile in that way that he knew she could not resist. Suddenly, she was in his arms, holding on as he swung her from side to side – just like the old times. Only this time, he had come back for her after being gone for so very long.

She breathed in the familiar smell of him and was all at once lightheaded. It had been so very long since she had taken him in, but he smelled just as she remembered. A smell she always connected with the lack or fear and feeling of triumph. He was just as she had remembered – though the suit was a different color, he still wore the long brown trench she loved to see draped over some part of the TARDIS as he fixed the console for the umpteenth time.

She pushed away from him to see his face. It was wet with tears he was not afraid to let go after all these years. Suddenly, and without warning, she hauled back and slapped him hard enough to make him grab his face.

"Hey! What was that for?" He rubbed his face, thinking that she had a slap very much like her mother's.

"You took so long!" Rose spat back before covering her mouth with her hands in horror at what she had done.

"But I got here!" He sent back before he grabbed her once again. He could feel her smiling even as he crushed her to him.

"Ummm…I hate to say this, Doctor," Rose pushed herself away again. "But I have to go back to work." She waited for his reaction.

"Right." He seemed to be thinking about it. "No way you can get out of it, I suppose." He ran his hands through his hair in just that way that drove her mad.

"Nope, sorry." She looked as though she really meant it. "I have to get back."

He searched her eyes for the punchline. But none was there, only a nod of assurance that she really needed to be getting back.

"But, I just got here…" he whined in her general direction. "Can't you just…"

Rose playfully hit at him and shook her head. "You could go and sit with my mum."

"Not ready to brave Jackie Tyler." He shook his head. "If it's not long, I'll just wait for you. Only been three years after all…"

Rose looked into his eyes and smiled a soft smile. "You're right. Hang on." She pulled her cell from her pocket and dialed a number she knew well. "Yeah, Mary? Listen – I've got a little…uh…thing…that I need to do. Can you cover for me? Let Alice know that I'll be back tomorrow. Thanks, luv, I owe you!" She snapped the phone shut and smiled back at him. "All taken care of now."

"Rose Tyler, sheer genius!" He tried to draw her into another hug, but she resisted, instead opting to pull at his hand.

"We need to go back to my flat for a while, then we can go and sightsee – if you want." Rose was tugging him toward the Powell Estates.

"Or, we could just go back there and have a tea," The Doctor suggested, arching an eyebrow.

"We could. But I want to show you around – just like old times, yeah?" She ignored the innuendo in his gesture.

"All right then," he let himself be led anywhere Rose would take him.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Crap! I checked today and I **_**still**_** don't own any of this other than the concept. No, wait, I take that back – I own the Converse I write about. So there!**_

They got back to her flat and Rose unlocked the door before pushing it open. There was something behind the door that was preventing it from opening all the way. Rose looked down and kicked whatever it was out of the way before proceeding into the house. "It is a total wreck, sorry about that. Didn't know that you'd be here or I would have cleaned," she offered, by way of apology.

He chuckled a little and looked at the object she had kicked out of her path. A small, well-worn white converse, no doubt belonging to her little brother – or sister. He made a mental note to ask her how Jackie and family were doing and flumped down on the couch. And onto a pointy stack of put-together Legos. The Doctor pulled them out from under him and thought that surely it must be a little brother that she had – one that frequently stayed with her from the looks of things. He was busy taking the blocks apart and putting them back together when Rose reappeared, looking very much like her old self.

"Ready?" she asked, peering down at the man who was fiddling with the plastic toy and sitting on her sofa.

"Yeah, I was just…just…oh sod it! I was playing with this…" He got up, dropping the toy back in its original spot and preceding her out the door.

"Need to make a quick call and we're off!" Rose dialed on her cell once again. "Mum – yeah…well…there's been a bit of a change in my plans…well, let's just say that an old friend stopped by…I'll be a little late getting home…you can eat without me…okay, thanks!"

Clicking off the phone, she turned to him and smiled, tongue between her teeth in that uniquely Rose way. He grabbed her into an embrace once again before allowing her to lock the door. He had almost forgotten the way she smelled, the way she felt in his arms.

Arms looped together, they went back down to catch the bus. "I need to ask you just how you found me," Rose spoke, breaking the silence at last.

"The TARDIS." He answered simply. "She is tuned into you. Has been since the Game Station. She just homed in on you and here I am. But one thing _has_ been bothering me."

"Wot?"

"Well, you're here. Right here. You should be _there_ – you know – the alternate Earth. How did you get here?" He was talking quietly, not wanting anyone else at the bus stop to hear.

"It's…uh…complicated. But Mum and Pete figured it all out. After they split. We had no reason to stay there and well, we missed Powell Estates." She was twirling her hair as she talked, looking down the street for the bus.

"They split? Pete and Jackie? I thought they were happy." Shock filled his face.

"They were for a bit. Then Mum had Lowell. And things got bad – Pete was too much into his job to spend time with them. It was a right mess. We all worked for a while to get back – with Torchwood, it was easy." She reached for his hand and found it. "And Mickey's Gran died in the reality as well, so he decided to come back with us."

"But you were listed among the dead at Canary Wharf – how did you…" He was rubbing her hand with his thumb.

"Well, we appeared in Cardiff – headed right for the hospital there, it was right after the Battle – officially, we were removed from the list." She shrugged it off, looking for the bus again.

"Rose," he pulled her head to look in her eyes. "Please tell me you did _not_ alter time like that."

"Like what?" She searched his face for the answer.

"You didn't just show up at hospital right after, right? Think, Rose." He still held her face in his hands.

"No, it was a few days. We were careful. Don't worry." She flashed him another smile.

"Oh, my Rose." He sighed in relief and pointed to the bus that was coming down the street. "Where are we going anyway?"

"On a field trip," she took his hand and pulled him onto the bus.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Okay, so I think these are redundant and they repeat themselves too. Who really thinks that I may own any part of this? Really? Okay then, I got a used TARDIS I can sell you – cheap…**_

The Doctor and Rose returned from their tour just after the sun went down. They were getting off the bus when Rose looked at her watch and yelped a little. "Bloody hell! Mum is going to skin me!" And with that, she began to run in the direction of her flat.

"Wait up!" The Doctor called after her. But it was no use. She already had a lead on him. His long legs bridged the gap quickly and he tapped her on the shoulder as she was putting her key in the lock. "_What_ is going on?"

"Nothing. Are you coming in?" She tugged a bit on his tie.

"Would love nothing more." He let her tug him inside.

The room was dark, but they could hear breathing. Rose stopped suddenly and flipped on the lamp near the door. There was Jackie, her arms folded across her chest, a scowl set there. "Well, you coulda called!" She reprimanded, but then changed her pitch when she saw who was trailing behind her daughter. "It's you!" She was off the couch and launching herself at the Doctor before he had time to react. Soon, he had an armful of Jackie Tyler, something he had hoped would never happen again.

"And hello to you to, Jackie Tyler!" He hugged her back without thinking; grateful that she really existed here, only more proof that Rose herself was real.

"So, did you tell him?" She asked her daughter over his shoulder.

"About how you got here?" He released her so he could talk to her properly. "Sad to hear about you and Pete, but good news for me, yeah?"

"Yeah, thanks for that. But I meant the family," Jackie chewed on her bottom lip and put her hand on her hip, looking at Rose.

"Oh yeah! She told me all about Lowell. Fantastic!" He sat in a recliner near the door and put his feet on the coffee table.

"Lowell – right." Jackie was now shooting daggers at her daughter. "We'll be going now, I guess, _Rose_…" She gathered her things and went into what the Doctor presumed was Rose's room to get Lowell. Then, the two of them - the boy in Jackie's arms - padded down to her own apartment. Rose watched her go, and then closed the door, finally falling against it and smiling at the Doctor.

"So, uh, your mum…" He ran his hair thru his hair at that and Rose could resist the urge no more. She went to him and sat in his lap.

"Yeah – still the same old Jackie Tyler. Should 'of warned you that she was here, I guess…" She ruffled his hair this time.

He put his arms around her, just like old times. "And why is it that she was here anyway?" He arched an eyebrow as he watched her start to chew on her lip – a sure sign that she was about to tell him something not strictly true.

"She's been staying here with Lowell while I am at work." She batted her eyelashes at him, making him laugh and pull her in for a kiss.

He could not get enough of her; this was just like old times, but better. This Rose was a little wiser, not that she wasn't before, but this Rose, there was something more mature about her. Something very…he lacked the word for it. "Rose Tyler, I have missed you so very much."

"I know the feeling." She snuggled closer to him, putting her feet under his coat, which he was still wearing.

They sat like that for a bit, in the mostly dark, the light that she had turned on earlier their only source to see by. He was studying her face, slowly running his fingers up and down her arm. He wondered if she had gone to sleep when she looked up at him.

"This is my place, not mum's," she said by way of invitation. "You _can_ make yourself comfortable."

"Perfectly comfortable," he assured her, leaning his head back.

She got up from her place in his lap and tried to pull him to his feet. For such a skinny man, he sure was hard to move. "Come on, Doctor. Up on your feet!"

He chuckled and hauled himself up. "Now what?" He looked at the woman standing below him, a woman he thought he would never see again.

She looked up at him. "Let's go and crash – I have a long day tomorrow."

"Tired already?" He clicked his tongue at her. "Rose, working does **not** suit you well. Why don't we go to the TARDIS for the night – I'm sure she misses you just as much…"

She stalled, trying to think of an excuse. "Uh…no…I need to have my alarm clock to get up in the morning. I have to go to work – unlike _some_ people – or aliens – I know…"

"Rose, you can come with me right now. We can leave all this. You don't have to work." He held her chin as he talked to her.

"Nice thought, but I can't just up and leave. What would I do with myself when you were done with me?" She was suddenly serious.

"Rose, haven't you learned that I'll never be done with you?" He leaned to kiss her again, noting that there were pools of unshed tears in her eyes, but not sure if they were joy or sadness.

_**Okay, so I need to know what you guys think of this - like I said before, this thing has been rattlin' 'round my brightly colored head so long that my roommate said if I didn't stop talking about it and write it, she was going to put a pillow over my face and count to 100 to put me out of her misery. I think she meant it! LOL**_


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: **_**I own the chairs in this chapter. And the spoon that Rose uses to stir her tea, as well as the shoelace in Jackie's left shoe, but that's all. The rest is borrowed for everyone's amusement**_**.**

The next morning, the Doctor was assaulted by a rather rude beeping noise. He had let himself be talked into staying the night at Rose's flat – mainly because at this point he would do anything to be with her. He didn't want to risk losing her again. He pulled the pillow over his head as Rose reached across to turn the offender off. He felt her get out of bed and plod towards the bathroom, stopping to kiss him on the cheek on the way thru.

"You can lay in bed all you want, Mr. Lazy Bones, but I have to get ready," she informed him.

It had been so long since he had slept beside her that he was up most of the night just watching her. She had told him before that it creeped her out and had politely asked him to stop then, but this time, she was so tired that she drifted off right away and he was free to do all the staring that he wanted. Eventually, he tired of it and fell asleep himself, breathing in her smell.

As he heard the shower turn on, he decided to get up and go to fix himself some tea. He padded toward the kitchen and stopped short when he saw that Jackie was already there, as well as Lowell and another boy about his age. He waved a slight wave at her and walked to the stovetop to put a kettle on.

"Good mornin', Sunshine," Jackie laughed, looking at the way the Doctor's hair was jutting out in all directions. "There is some hot water in that kettle still. Help yourself to some toast."

"Thanks," he gruffed back, his eyes still bleary. "Good mornin', Lowell, your big sister told me all about you yesterday, but I didn't get to meet you, 'cause you were sleeping."

The boys both looked at him with confusion and continued eating. The Doctor, truth be told, couldn't really tell the boys from one another anyway and so patted each on the head in turn as he walked by them on his way back to the bedroom to get dressed.

Rose was just finishing her shower when he shuffled in and stood in the doorway. "You know, that offer I made last night about getting back on the TARDIS? It still stands…"

Rose turned to him, toothbrush hanging from her mouth. "I tol' ya! I can't. Gotta 'urk."

"But why work?" He was almost pleading with her, he knew; but she knew he didn't do domestic – and this was bordering dangerously close to domestic.

She gave him that look that she always gave him when he just didn't seem to get her and spit into the sink. Turning on the water, she looked in the mirror. "Because, I _need_ to, that's why!"

He looked at her with puppy dog eyes and her resolve began to melt. She stood as close as she could to him without touching him. Her hair was still dripping from her shower, her face still bare of any make-up something that the Doctor found to be quite odd for her. "Doctor, you trust me, right?"

He nodded down at her.

She continued, "Well, then, trust that I _need_ to go to work today. I am off tomorrow – we can do something then."

He went all but boneless. "But what am I supposed to do all day? Hang around here with your mum and little brother and that other kid – what does she do anyway? Take in other kids to watch?"

Rose turned from him as she answered, "Yeah, she baby-sits during the day. And you don't have to stay here; don't worry. You could go and see Mickey. He works down at the computer shop 'round the corner. Might be nice for him to know you are back." She was brushing her hair now and he watched as water dripped from the ends with every stroke.

"I could, yeah, but, what I want to do is spend my day with you, Rose Tyler." He really was pouting now, and he didn't care what she thought of him so long as it got her to stay right there with him.

"I would love nothing more to spend my day with you. Tell you what – meet me at quarter past three – I'll cut my shift short again. I'll tell Mum this mornin' not to wait up that we'll be back late." She turned back to him and smiled, making everything fine again.

"All right. If that's the best you can do, I'll take it." The Doctor agreed at last. "I'm gonna go 'head and head back to the TARDIS for a bit if that's all right with you. I'll meet you at Henrik's ready to go."

"Right. Please don't get into any trouble 'round town, I can't afford to bail you out," Rose half-joked as she finished getting ready for work.

"You know me, Rose Tyler. What kind of trouble can I possibly get into?" Somehow he was fully dressed and, popping the sonic screwdriver into his pocket, he walked out the front door, waving good-bye to Jackie and the boys.

Rose came out about half an hour later, dressed for work. Jackie pounced on her almost immediately. "Rose Marion Tyler! You didn't talk to him last night, did you?"

"Mum, I was gonna, but we fell asleep and…" Her mother cut her off before she could finish.

"That's no excuse! You have got to talk to that man as soon as you can! You are lying to him, Rose, and that is dangerous ground. Take that from me." Jackie handed her daughter a steaming cup of tea.

"I promise," she drank deeply before continuing. "Which reminds me – going to be home late again tonight. He and I need to have a chat – don't wait up."

"That's all well and good, sweetheart, but don't you dare get in that box without telling me. That's the last thing I need – you turning up missing for a year!" Jackie handed each of the boys a banana.

"No, Mum, nothing like that! And he said he was sorry…" She was kissing each boy on the head in turn as she rushed out the door, fearing she'd be late. "See you later tonight!"

"I mean it, Rose. No more lies. They only hurt later." Jackie got the last word in as Rose closed the door. "Now, my boys, what do we have planned for today?"

_**Wow. I wrote three chapters last night. That's why there were so many posted. I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am. I know it's a little slow-going, but I promise, it's leading up to something in the very near future. Let me know what you think - and predictions are always welcome...**_


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: **_**See that window right there? I got my head stuck in it once, but that doesn't mean that I own it. There may be a few of my hairs in it though…Other than that, same standard notes about not owning anything…**_

She had been looking at her watch all day, hoping that three-o'clock would get there soon. Mary had been talking to her for what she supposed was about ten minutes before she realized it.

"Whu?" Rose snapped out of her daze.

"Rose, what is going on with you?" She leaned closer to her friend. "You aren't acting like you – what's wrong?"

"Nothin'." Rose told her, looking at her watch again.

"You're a liar, Miss Tyler. That's at least the fiftieth time you have looked at your wrist since you came in here. Spill it."

"I can't right now, but I _promise_. I'll let you know what is going on as soon as I can. You trust me, right, Mary?" This was the second time today she had had to ask someone that, and she briefly wondered how many more times she would be saying it today.

"Yes. God help me, I don't know why, but – yes." Mary turned from her friend to watch a man that was coming in the door. "Don't look now, but I think that bloke is walking towards you – and he's kinda cute…"

Rose looked up to see the Doctor striding toward her; she couldn't stop the smile that started at one side of her mouth and went all the way to the other, threatening to split her face in half. "Ya think?"

The man extended his hand as he closed in on the women. "Hi there, John Smith. Came to whisk Rose Tyler away from all of this – much of a paradise as it is…" Rose noticed immediately that he had changed from the blue pinstripe he had worn yesterday into the brown one she was familiar with. "Are you ready, then?"

"Yeah, I'll go grab my bag." Rose smiled as she walked around the counter to go to the backroom. "Mary, the shop is yours. John, follow me?" She took his hand before he had a chance to answer.

"Nice meeting you, Mary!" He called as he let himself be led away. "So, what is the plan?"

"Well, I told Mum this morning not to wait up for us, to start. We can go to dinner, a movie, walk around – whatever you want," she answered, watching his eyes light up with the thought of jumping back aboard the TARDIS. "Well, anything but time travel…"

"Oh come on, Rose! Ever since I got here, all you want to do is work." He looked at her seriously for a moment before continuing. "Why can't we just get on board the old girl and pick up where we left off?"

She searched her brain carefully before answering, knowing that he would read something into any of the words she was about to say. "Not now – there are things to be done here. Before I can go. But, yes, I would like to go with you – travel forever – like I promised."

He was beaming when she looked back at him. "Really? I thought that you were trying to tell me that you didn't want to go with me again."

"Who? Me? Now, that's not very like me!" Rose put on her coat and took his hand in hers again. "And it's the day before Christmas. What did ya get me?"

"Right, I um…" He was suddenly on the spot. He had forgotten all about the date. "I don't suppose I got you much of anything." His hair went through his hair again.

"Good thing I got off a pinch early then! Some shops will still be open – shopping to be done…" Rose teased him, looping her arm through his.

"Forgot about Christmas – something about Christmas that I don't usually like…" He was half joking as he led Rose out of the store and out into the street.

They were talking as they window shopped. Rose stopped in front of a toy store and peeked in.

"Looking for something for Lowell?" He looked at the toy train that was making it's way around the tree that was in the display.

"Uh, I was looking for something for Dominic, actually. You know, the little boy that was in my kitchen this morning?" She saw he was looking at something and let her eyes wander to whatever it was. "You see something you like?"

He drew his hand from his pocket and pointed now to the train. "That. Always thought it would have been nice to have one."

"Then, let's go in and get one!" Rose tugged him inside.

The shop had a slightly cinnamon smell and there was a buzz of electricity in the air. "This is fabulous!" The Doctor exclaimed in awe as he went from display to display looking at all the electronic things that were there.

Rose watched him – he was acting more of a kid than Lowell at this point, and she chuckled deep in her throat. "Okay, then, let's get the train and get going – we still have to pick up something for Mum."

The Doctor reluctantly let himself be lead from the shop after the purchase. Rose thought for sure it was because she had promised that they could come back another day and look around. They walked in silence down the street, Rose trying not to think about anything but the present she still needed to but her mother. The shops were starting to close, so she popped into one of the cosmetic stores her mother liked to frequent and bought a gift certificate as the Doctor stood outside. He claimed that the smells got to him – which was probably true – you never really knew with a Time Lord, did you?

"What's on the agenda now?" He asked as they walked back towards Henrik's. The shops were all locking their doors, and many people who knew Rose were waving at her and wishing her a Happy Christmas. She obliged by waving back, and in some cases giving out hugs. She never once forgot to introduce the Doctor – as John Smith of course – and there were quite a few times that he was sure he saw an odd eye lift when she had. He brushed it off and followed her back down the street to the bus.

"Well, I thought maybe we could go and drop this stuff off. I had planned to stay out late, but I forgot until I got to work this morning that it was Christmas Eve." She admitted o him as they sat on the bench to wait. "I need to get this stuff ready for under the tree."

"Forgot, huh? I guess that would be my fault, then?" He held her hand.

"Yeah, I suppose it would…" She resisted the urge to put a small kiss on his cheek.

Soon, the bus was there and they were at her flat. No one said a word the whole ride back – they were enjoying just being near one another. And the Doctor was afraid to ask her to go with him again. Besides, something _always_ happened on Christmas when they were together, didn't it?

Rose opened the door to her flat and found that Jackie was ready to go out the door with Lowell. "Good thing you got here, sweetheart. Did you forget what the date was? I still have to go and get ready for tonight!" She pulled Lowell to his feet and the boy gave his sister a hug before they left.

The Doctor patted him on the head as they passed him in the doorway. He turned back to the kitchen and noticed that the other boy was still seated at the table. "You forgot one, Jackie!" He remarked, pointing to the boy.

Jackie turned to her daughter. "You still didn't talk to him?"

"Mum, I…" She started, but Jackie shut her off with a look.

"Fine then." Jackie fumed, turning from her daughter to the man in the doorway. "No, _Mr. Smith_, I didn't forget one. That one belongs here. That boy over there – he's Rose's…" She turned to walk out the door, not waiting for the words to sink in.

Rose shoved her hands into her pants pockets and bit her bottom lip, looking at the Doctor the whole while. She watched as his face went from broad smile to thoughtful frown to realization.

"What? What?! What?!" was all the Time Lord could manage to strangle out as his eyes met the ones of the boy at the table – eyes that were all at once strangely familiar to him.

**And now we get to the meat of the story! Tune in next time to find out how we got to this point…**


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wow, this is a monster. Took me a bit to get that much out, but now comes the real meat of the story! Still don't own the characters, checked to make sure…**_

"What? What?! What?!" The Doctor looked desperately from Rose to the boy at the table and out the door to the retreating forms of Jackie and Lowell Tyler.

"Yeah, uh…" Rose was still looking at him while biting her lip, resisting the urge to twirl her hair at the same time.

The color drained from his face as he tried to process everything that that one statement implied. Surely the boy was not Mickey's – he looked nothing like him. He did look a bit like Rose, with those large brown eyes, and that mop of blonde hair. But there was something else, just below the surface. Something the Time Lord could not quite put his finger on. "Did your mother just say what I think?" He slumped into the chair he had found the first night – only yesterday, but feeling more like a million lifetimes.

"Yeah, I think she did." Rose was suddenly quiet as she walked to stand over him. He was staring at the boy.

"And was she saying what I think she was saying, Rose?" His eyes were unblinking, glazed over.

"I think so, yeah." She was resisting the urge to run her hands through his hair.

"Yes or no, Rose."

"Yes."

"You were lying to me at Bad Wolf Bay?" He finally looked up at her. His look was a mix of hurt and yet, something else.

"Kinda, yeah." She thought for a brief moment. "You hate me?"

His face and voice softened. "Rose Tyler, I could never hate you." He stood in one fluid move and pulled her to him. "But you should have said something."

"I couldn't," the tears began to flow as she pressed her face to his chest. "It wouldn't have made any difference."

"But it would!" He looked again at the small boy at the table. "Sitting over there, Rose, is something that I thought was impossible."

There was a silence that passed between them. It was enough to just be near one another, but this was something different. He could feel Rose chewing her cheek, without even having to look at her. What else was there to say when one found out something like this? The boy was staring back at them now. His eyes were a brown that looked right through someone – and made him seem much older. The Doctor let go of Rose for just one moment to cross to the boy, to really look into his eyes.

The boy looked up at the man with the ruffled hair walking toward him, regarding him for a moment before turning back to the picture he had been coloring. The Doctor approached him slowly, as if he were looking at a wild animal, finally sitting beside him.

The boy stopped his coloring for a bit, turning instead to the man and reaching out to him with small hands. The Doctor leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of the boy's head and allowing him to do the same. Rose watched as their eyes closed and they sat, unmoving. She crept closer to watch.

When, at last, they had finished, the two of them opened their eyes once again and looked at each other, smiles spreading on their faces in unison. There was an instant recognition, and the Doctor turned now to Rose.

"And it just keeps getting better!" He bounced up off of the seat, ruffling the hair of the boy who was beaming up at him. "Rose – do you know what he is?"

"He's my son – our son. And 'He' has a name – Dominic." She sat in the chair vacated by the Doctor and inclined her head to look at him, her hands clasped together on her lap, legs crossed.

"Yeah, but…" He stopped short, letting the words sink in. He looked down at the floor to think for a moment before a smile started on his face. "Rose! This is brilliant! Do you know what this means?"

"I think…" She was thoroughly confused now.

"Well, it means – it means that we…we…WE…" All of the other knowledge he was about to impart on her was lost by this one moment. A moment in which the man known as the Oncoming Storm, The Lonely God, and a host of other things – never thought he would have the chance to experience again. But here it was – and Rose, Rose!, had given it to him. He was suddenly rushing at the two of them and scooping them into his arms. "WE! _We_, Rose! Both of us! You and me! And HIM! Brilliant!" The Doctor looked at the boy again before looking back at Rose. "You said he had a name?"

"Yes." Rose had not expected this news to go over so well. She was actually prepared for the worst, so spoke every word with careful hesitation. "His name is Dominic Chronos Tyler. Kinda had a ring to it…"

"Well, better late than never…Dominic Chronos Tyler, nice to meet you!" He hugged tighter again, hearing Rose yelp a little at the squeeze. "Sorry, so sorry." He put them down and sat, drawing Dominic into his lap. The boy leaned back naturally, causing something to catch in Rose's throat. "Rose, there's more though – so much more than what you think you know about this remarkable boy!"

Rose sat across from him, picking up the boy's shoe to play with the laces. The Doctor noticed they were the Converse he had seen behind the door the day before and smiled. "Doctor, I do know that there are enough remarkable things about him that, well, no pre-school in town will take him – that's why Mum watches him all day!"

"Oh, I know by now that you know that he has extra ribs and that his core temperature is lower – well, quite a bit lower actually – I remember the havoc that caused with Martha, but…yeah, so – you may have found the extra memory capacity, and by now, if you haven't seen his blood, that would be indeed remarkable! I hope you have never given him aspirin and he's slightly telepathic and his reflexes are faster than you'd be familiar with and he's not to get the flu, fevers, or even the common cold…" He was ticking off his fingers like a laundry list, the boy now turned to hear the rumble in his chest.

Rose chuckled a little and leaned in very close to him. "He's fine. I know all that – thanks to files that Uncle Jack provided us with. Now, quit worrying and kiss me!" She touched her lips to his. He responded in kind, forgetting there was a small child between them for the moment.

"Well, Uh, Rose, what don't you know about him, then?" He whispered, leaning back only slightly.

"Not much. But I do know that it's getting very late and he should be in bed if he wants Father Christmas to come…" She kissed him on the nose before grabbing at the sleeping form in his arms.

The Doctor refused to let her have him. "Let me do it. It's my job – sorry I couldn't do it sooner."

After laying the boy in his bed, beneath a ceiling of stick-on stars, The Doctor and Rose went back to the couch. "So, the train we got was for him, right?"

She smiled. "Yes. Do you wanna put it together for him?"

"I'd love nothing more." He was off the couch in record time, getting into the bag they had brought home.

Rose watched for a bit before going to the kitchen to make tea. "And no using the screwdriver," she remarked, noticing as she passed that he was reaching into the pocket of that impossible trench coat that he wore.

"Right, right…" He acted as if he was putting it back, but only until she was out of the room – no harm in fixing the toy now, was there?

_**And there we go! Hope no one is too mad at me for that! But there is more – I wouldn't leave Christmas Day out of this, now, would I? Not with the track record this man has! Like it? Let me know! Don't like it? Still let me know.**_


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Okay, now, I **_**do**_** own some of these characters – well one or two, but that's better than none! Thanks to the BBC for having awesome characters with which to play!**_

Dominic woke up the next morning when the sun peeked through his curtains. He remembered there was something special about the day, but he couldn't help feeling like there was something else going on.

He pushed his coverlet back and put his feet to the floor. There was that man from last night who was not a man, and man that smelled sweet and had the pictures in his head of a world that no longer existed – one that Dominic could all but taste and smell. He wondered in the back of his mind if he was still there, but first he would have to check on his mother. She was excited about the man too – he had felt it on her when she had come through the door.

He continued on socked feet into her room. There she was, as usual, all her blonde hair spilled into her face as she snored lightly. Dominic tapped her arm and she opened her eyes slowly, smile starting at the corner of her mouth.

"Good morning, Dom," she whispered, turning so he could climb in beside her like he did on the mornings when she didn't have to work. "You know what today is, right?"

"Christmas," he answered, feeling the warmth of her body begin to seep into the cloth of the pajamas he was wearing.

"Do you want to see what Father Christmas brought us?" She blew a little raspberry on his neck, causing him to squirm and laugh.

"And what about Daddy?" He peeked over Rose to see if there was anyone there, but found no one.

Rose was caught off guard by his question and , after starting, looked hard at him. "What did you say?"

"I said, what about Daddy?" He looked back at her with that odd smoulder in his eyes that he got when he was being serious.

"Who do you mean?" She was playing dumb, trying to get more information from the small boy.

"Mummy, that man that was here last night - he told me – he saw in my brain and told me who he was. Was that wrong?" He asked her with his whole face.

"No, baby, that was right." She snuggled him close for a moment more before he began to wriggle. "What's wrong?"

"Father Christmas came, bee-member?" He was pulling on her now, making her laugh.

"Right, right." She pulled herself from bed, wondering where the Doctor had gone – she was sure that when she had fallen asleep he was right there. She didn't have to wonder long. Coming into the living room, she saw what could only be described as over-decorated. Every surface was covered in red or gold bows – including the tree. The train was chugging its way around the other presents Rose had gotten, and a few that were unfamiliar. Knowing that they were due at her mother's house after opening gifts, she called into the man standing in the kitchen leaning on counter, a satisfied smirk on his face and a coffee mug in his hand. "You do know that we have to go to Mum's in a bit, right?"

"Right," he put his mug in the sink and went to watch the little boy search the presents for his name. He bent to kiss her on the head as she perched on the arm of the sofa.

"So – now you do domestic?" She looked up at him, tongue poking through her teeth as she smiled. "That's a new one…"

He gave her a look that could only be interpreted as "Rose-how-dare-you-you-know-that-things-change-with-me-and-besides-I-have-a-son-who-also-happens-to-be-yours" look, returing the smile. "Let's let him open his presents first, yeah?"

"Of course." Rose got out her camera, and for about an hour, the three of them looked to be the picture of domestic. There was no way that Mickey was going to believe what happened. He had heard the Doctor say that he didn't do domestic on more than one occasion. Rose couldn't wait to show him.

Dominic was lazing around now, having opended the gifts that Rose had bought and a couple that the Doctor had as well, including something that looked suspiciously like a training sonic screwdriver that Rose had made a mental note to put up when there was a knock at the door. The two adults looked quickly at each other, as if they were caught.

"Are you lot coming down to my place or did you intend to stay in all day?" Jackie's voice came from the other side.

Rose laughed as she opened the door – letting Jackie and Lowell in. Lowell stood, staring at Dominic, who was sitting on the couch with the Doctor - they were reading a technical manual of some sort and laughing at the illustrations. Jackie shook her head, glad that her grandson had finally found someone with whom to connect.

The Doctor looked up and flashed a million dollar grin at her, reminding her of a few Christmases back, when she had first seen this face. He was not wearing the coat that he normally did, nor was he wearing his suit. For the moment, he was wearing pajamas and looking for all the world like any other father on any other holiday morning. It made Jackie more than a little sad to think of Pete at that moment, but she snapped out of it when she heard the boys talking about the gifts they had received.

"Why don't you two go in Dom's room and play?" Jackie suggested, shoving her hands in the pocket of her coat.

"I got some really cool stuff from Father Christmas!" Dom pulled his uncle towards the room Jackie had told them to, waving at his parents as he did so.

"So, this," Jackie indicated the two of them with a sweeping motion. "This is all worked out?"

"Yeah, Jackie," the Doctor spoke first, "It's all worked out." He nudged Rose as she sat close to him – they shared a private smile before Rose looked at her mother.

"We were on our way over, mum." She spoke, laying her hand on his leg.

"Well, don't bother, the heats out again. Figured that we could just do dinner here." Jackie removed her coat. "Would that be okay? I have everything ready – just have to steal him to come and help me get it all here."

"Sure, Mum," she pushed a bit on the Doctor to get him moving. "He'd be glad to help – just don't keep him too long – we still have things to talk about…"

The Doctor stood and got his jacket, leaning to kiss Rose before he walked out. "Have fun!"

Jackie pushed him playfully out the door and waved to her daughter before shutting it behind her. "You listen to me, and listen good. No taking her heart and leaving her behind without it. Living in that damn ble box of yours might be a rough life for a little boy, but it's either you take the both of them of you put your roots here. And don't think for one minute that I won't plant your arse!" She pushed her hair from her eyes and smiled up at him. "Now, let's go get the feast!"

The Doctor tried to process for a moment what she had said to him, storing it for later review. Right now, he had to go and get what would be the makings of his best Christmas meal ever. One he would be spending with his family (Family!) being all domestic – truly something he could get used to.

_**Oh noes! He wouldn't, would he?! Man, I just don't know – these characters, though not mine, are whispering all manners of things in my ears – let's see what happens, shall we?**_


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Still don't own the characters – and some you are about to meet, I didn't make them up either. Found them all on my own though. Had to argue with my roommate over minor details here and there, watched a special on the Worst Teeth in Britain, and listened to the randomness that is an iPod while I did this – let's see how it goes, shall we?**_

They were all settled after having eaten, the Doctor and Rose snuggled together with Dominic right between them, the perfect picture of family. Jackie was sitting in the recliner, Lowell pulled into her lap. All were watching Coronation Street, Rose musing about the fact that they should be watching the Queen's address instead and being met with Mr.Yuck faces.

There was a flash and words began to scroll across the screen – the adults present did their best not to read out loud, but the kids could tell that something was wrong. The Doctor turned to Jackie after a moment and spoke, "Would you mind terribly watching Dom while we go in the other room and have a chat?"

Jackie was dumbstruck, and merely nodded at the man. Rose followed him into her bedroom, where he sat on the bed heavily.

"What's wrong, Doctor? What did all of that mean just now?" Rose was using her panic voice now, one she had not used in quite some time.

The Doctor ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it as he thought. "If I'm right, and I hope I'm not, then this is very very bad…"

"What does it mean, though – people showing up with severe anemia at hospital? It can't be that bad, can it?" Rose was biting her lip on worry, pacing in front of the Doctor.

"Rose, I wish it were that simple. But I'm afraid that it isn't. I really thought I had seen the last of them." He was looking up at her now, peering out of the top of his glasses – when had he put those on?

"So you know what these things are?" She sat beside him, her leg tucked beneath him.

"I'm afraid that I do." He looked at her seriously. "And I don't think that this is going to end well." He thought for a moment. "You said last night that Jack had helped you figure out some things about Dom, do you talk to him often?"

"Well, Owen is our doctor. I guess that means we see him a lot. Do you think that he could help?" Rose had her cell out of her pocket and was looking for the number even before she had finished her question. "Jack? Yeah, it's me. No, Dominic is fine – but there is someone here who needs to talk to you."

The Doctor took the phone from her and began to talk without giving Jack any time to answer. "Look, Jack, I need to know what the readings coming through the Rift were over the last couple of days…suppose you saw the reports…nothing, you say…uh – have you heard the one about the flask containing Fenric? No, you hadn't? Hmm…I'd like to tell you about it, but don't really have the time right now…no, it's all over the telly…sure, I'll call you back – so much to talk about!"

He bounced her phone on the bed and looked at her gravely. "Rose, there is no way I can even think about losing you again, you and Jackie and the boys are going to have to come with me on the TARDIS. Or go to Torchwood. Jack would be glad to have you…"

"How dare you even think that! Doctor, if you think that you can get rid of me that easily, then you weren't paying attention to the part where I figured out how to get home when all things seemed impossible." Rose stomped her foot as she talked.

"Okay – so what are we going to do? I don't want you staying here and going with me is too dangerous – what do you suggest that I do?" He was back to sitting on the bed.

"Trust me. That's all I'm asking you to do." He thought he saw a sparkle of gold in her eyes as she spoke with him now.

"And I ask the same of you." He matched her in the staring contest they were now having. "Rose, I am crazy for saying this, but we are going to need some serious help if we're going to get through this. Get Jackie and the boys and meet me at the TARDIS. I have to go and see if I can find some friends."

_**So, there you are. We knew things could not go easy for our dear friends on Christmas. And why, you may ask like the roomie has twice now, am I writing about Christmas in June? Our A/C is on the fritz and it seems to be doing the trick in keeping me cool – LOL!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER**_**: It's getting harder and harder to be witty here – so, as a result, let's skip to the story. Don't own much, if anything.**_

Rose unlocked the door to the TARDIS and pushed everyone inside. Jackie, having seen the interior, was not shocked, but the boys were so fascinated that they froze on the spot. Dominic giggled a little and ran to the console. Rose watched in fascination as it lit up in patterns and had to make a huge effort to keep the child from punching buttons and pulling levers. "Dominic Chronos! Hands off!"

He inclined his head in her direction. "But, Mummy, she said to!" He protested, climbing into the jumpseat, his feet propped beside him, arms crossed on chest.

Lowell stood close to his mother, not as much the daredevil as his nephew.

"Mum, you can go and get bunked down if you want. I'm sure the TARDIS has made a room for you by now." Rose offered, wiggling her hand at her little brother for him to take it.

"That would be great, Rose." Her mother sighed, "And then maybe we can have tea, yeah?"

"Sure." Rose began to lead them from the control room. "Dominic, don't move. Stay right there. The Doctor will be here in a minute. I mean it. No moving, mister."

The boy smiled at her then, very much like the man she had met oh-so-many years ago. She was glad when he was born that he had not had those ears, but this smile was something new. Something about seeing him sitting in that old Jumpseat made her heart leap a little, made this all a little more real. "I won't."

Just then, the Doctor burst - for lack of a better description – into the console room, Mickey Smith trailing behind him. "Dom Dom Dom-mer! How are things over at the ole Jumpseat?" He went to stand beside his son, standing with purpose.

The boy giggled again, and the Doctor mussed his hair before letting the boy do the same to him. "Now, Mickey, we're up against something that we are going to need a little more firepower for. Hold on for adventure!" He pointed to a lever and Dominic pulled it, squealing. Mickey grabbed for anything to make him stop lurching about, finally reaching the console for support.

Meanwhile, Rose and her mother were searching for the room that the TARDIS had created for Jackie when Rose heard the TARDIS making a small purring noise somewhere deep in her mind. "_So, is he letting Dominic pilot now?"_ Rose thought, rather amusingly.

The ship responded by opening the door to the room they were looking for. Jackie gasped at the sight before her. The room was big, and plush! Everything Jackie had even joked about finding in her dream room was in there. There was even a separate bathroom with a garden tub. She quickly took back all the things she said about the Doctor and brought Lowell into the room. "This is wonderful, Rose! Tell the Doctor we said thank you! I think we're just going to get settled in. Let me know if anything important happens."

"Sure thing, Mum." Rose bent to give her brother a kiss on the head and leaned in to hug her mother before going back into the hallway.

Rose headed back toward the console room, hearing the laughter there getting louder and louder. When she got there, she was forced to hold back a laugh. The Doctor was running around, pointing and explaining everything about how the TARDIS worked - sometimes using Gallifreyan she noticed. Dominic was gleefully pulling levers and punching buttons. Mickey was gripping random parts of the console in an attempt to hold on – to no avail. She was content to just let them bond until the Doctor handed Dominic the mallet that he kept hanging to "fix the TARDIS". Rose stepped in and took the implement in one fluid movement, which surprised both father and son. She was met with identical stares stating their displeasure.

Rose was forced at that very moment to look at how similar they were. Same ruff of hair, same way of standing, and that look in their eyes – it was if she had merely put the man before her on a copy machine and hit the "reduce" button. There were times when he looked so much like the other doctor she had known though, the one that took her hand and told her to run. And, at other times, like the one time last winter when she had bundled him tightly in her scarf, she had seen something else in boy, an other-worldliness that she had no words with which to describe.

"Rose!" The Doctor called, snapping out of her out of her thoughts. "We're going to land, you may want to hold onto something," he regarded the child clinging to his leg now. "Seems Dom already figured that out…"

Mickey was pale as he grabbed one of the supports in the console room and clamped his eyes shut. "I hate this part!"

As the TARDIS materialized in the alley in Cardiff, the Doctor called ahead to his old friend, Captain Jack Harkness. "Jack! I need you – Cardiff needs you! _Rose needs you…_" He spoke into the cell he was holding without letting the man on the other end answer.

_**Shorter chapter, I realize, but it feels like a good stopping point. Have no fear, there will be more today…else the roommate will be cornering me and asking all kinds of questions…one of those being – Susan! Where has all the hazelnut creamer gone? – a la Captain Jack Sparrow – Susan! You are using up the internets!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: **_**The Roomie says to quit making her sound like such a nutter and that she knows I cannot use up all the internets – it being infinite and all. Also, she did help me a bit with this, so props to the roomie! Also, thanks to someone we thought was a friend, we literally own hardly anything – so, on to the story! **_

Jack looked at the wall. He had just heard a voice from his past shouting into the comm he wore. And that voice had mentioned Rose. Did he know then? He brought his finger to his lips to think for a moment. Ianto came in at that moment and set a fresh cup of coffee on the desk.

"Anything wrong, sir?" He picked up the other cup that was there, noting that there was a deposit of sugar at the bottom that he could visibly see – he would need to cut back on the Captain's the next time.

"Ianto, please drop the sir – I think we're past that now." Jack grinned around his finger and continued. "It's Rose. She's coming here. Now."

Ianto stood beside him, rubbing his back for a moment before walking back to the doorway. "Should I let Owen know to stow the corpse?"

"No, it's not because of Dominic. It's bigger. Much bigger." He templed his fingers, resting his elbows on the desk in front of him.

"How much bigger?" Ianto saw that he was concerned and switched to professional mode.

"Have Tosh scan the Rift. I need readings from up to a week ago. Can you do that?" Jack softened his eyes.

"Should be no problem." And with that, he was gone.

Jack thought for a moment about what it would mean for him to help out the Doctor now that he had found Rose again. He had hated being the odd man out before – how was this going to be any different. And then he thought of Dominic. Scratch that, he would no longer be the odd man out – he'd be the nanny. Captain Jack Harkness, Intergalactic Space Manny. He made up his mind right then and there that he would not go, no matter what.

He found himself a moment later, waiting for his visitors in the tourist office, against his better judgment. There was a slight movement as the door creaked open, revealing Rose and Dominic, followed by the Doctor. The perfect picture of a family on vacation. Jack looked at the scene for a moment before moving to give Rose a hug, hefting Dominic onto his shoulders as he did so.

The boy put his arms under Jack's neck and hugged him from above. "Uncle Jack!" He squealed in an octave high enough that Mfanwy screeched from the other side of the door.

"Aren't you just the picture of domestic?" Jack quipped throwing an arm around the Doctor and pressing the button that would allow them the access to the Hub below.

"Watch that," the Doctor warned. "I might not be talking to you for a bit – you knew about this and didn't see fit to tell me anything about it!"

Jack looked over at Rose. "She made me promise! Said you would come when you were ready…"

Both men were looking at her now; best things she could think of doing was a weak shrug, "I had my reasons."

"Whatever they were will have to wait. Tosh confirmed there was major Rift activity last week. Why it went undetected worries me," Jack changed the subject, leading them into the main part of Torchwood Three.

Dominic spotted Owen and tried to hide behind Jack as best he could, fearing that he was going to be poked and prodded. The Doctor noticed and took his son from his perch. "Dom, can you maybe go sit over there for a bit?" He motioned to a chair sitting near the wall. "Here – take this to look at." From somewhere in his coat, he produced a picture book with Gallifreyan writing in it. Rose and Jack watched as the boy smiled and did as he was told, passing a look between them that the Doctor didn't miss. "What?"

"You just got a three-year-old to sit quietly and wait on us," Jack pointed out the obvious to anyone who was listening.

"Yeah, old Time Lord parenting trick," The Doctor bragged. "I'm not new to this, you know…"

Tosh called the group over to her computers. "Guys, this is weird. There is a little bit of activity, but not to cause the type of damage that is going on. There has, however been some activity off the coast that suggests that there is something brewing under there."

The Doctor looked quickly at Jack, hoping that he would have an answer. The Captain just shook his head, thinking. "Anything else?"

"Well, we have had reports that there have been some strange happenings being reported by boaters. Some odd readings, things like that. Big problem in more open areas – the water is choppier than normal. Then there are the standard boating complaints. I'll see what I can do about finding more info soon." Tosh tuned everyone out and went back to her research.

"Do you have any data on any of the attacks here, Jack?" The Doctor pulled at his ear in thought.

"Not yet. I could call Martha over at UNIT, see what's going on." He volunteered, looking from the Doctor to Rose.

"I really don't know how much time we have here, I'm going to have to search the TARDIS for something. Seems to me that I've seen this somewhere before…" The Doctor looked over to where his son sat, still engrossed in the book he had been reading.

"Are you ready to go, Dominic?"

The little boy looked up and brightened. "Back to the Box?"

"Yes," Rose promised, taking his hand. "Back to the box. Jack – you know how to contact us."

"Yeah, give me an hour or tow and see what the team can come up with." Jack turned from them as soon as they reached the exterior by way of the perception filter. "Right, team – this is important. Let's find out what's creeping through the Rift this time…"

As they stepped off the perception filter and walked toward the TARDIS, Dominic skipped a little as he held on to the Doctor's hand. Rose was on the Doctor's other side, enjoying the feeling of him near. The little boy chattered to his parents. "Do I have a room in the box all to myself? Do I have toys to play with? Mummy, did you bring my zebra? Will I have to sleep in a net? Uncle Jack says you sleep in a net…"

The Doctor rolled his eyes toward Rose and began answering as best he could. "Yes, Dom, you have your own room – maybe more than one…the box will make sure you have toys if Mummy didn't pack any…and here is your zebra," he pulled the article in question from his coat pocket. "As for Uncle Jack and believing him, son, don't until you have asked us if it's true…"

Rose laughed at him as they went through the door into the TARDIS to see if the information they so badly needed would be found onboard.

**Do you think that they are going to find what they are looking for? And what could these creatures be? Why am I asking questions? Why not? Anyway, have no fear, we'll find out what they are soon – promise!**


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER:**_** One should not listen to John Barrowman signing and watch Doctor Who without the sound when writing fanfic. Or you get this. 'Course, I did use the great-big-look-up-machine a fair bit for research. Probably more than I should have, but I had questions…**_

They had been in the library for four hours and Rose was starting to get tired. Dominic had already fallen asleep on the couch and was laying under the Doctor's coat.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Rose pushed her hair from her face and watched her son sleep.

"It _has_ to be here!" The Doctor leaned on a bookcase for a moment, thinking. Repeated runs of his hands through his hair made him appear rather comical, and Rose could not resist laughing.

"What's so funny?" He failed to find the humor in leaning, but was sure she was going to share with him.

She hid behind her hand, snorting every now and then. "Okay! You look like a regular mad professor!" She went back to laughing, but a look crossed the Doctor's face – a look of instant clarity.

"ROSE! You're simply wonderful!" He bounded over to her and picked her up to twirl her. "Call Jack and tell him if he's coming, he better hurry – I won't let him cling to the TARDIS this time!"

Rose was on the phone even before the Doctor was running out and to the console room to get the TARDIS moving. "Jack, he's said he has something. Something that answers it – at least that's how he's acting."

"That's great, Rose. We were finding nothing of note here." He responded, sounding a little hurt.

"And if you want to go that you had better hurry!" She blurted before hanging up and taking Dominic to his room.

By the time she had put her son down and gone back for the Doctor's coat, Jack was sitting in the jumpseat, feet propped up on the console itself. "Hey there, Rosie!" He called her. "Glad to see you again!"

"Right – onward to France – 19th century! I know the answer to this one! Hold on tight!" The Doctor grabbed a lever and the whole room lurched to the right.

"Did he just say '19th century France'?" Rose threw the coat on the floor and glared at Mickey.

"I think he did, yeah," Mickey nodded slowly in realization.

"You better have a really good reason, mister!" Jack caught her glare and visibly cringed, making mental note not to make her angry.

"Oh, it's beautiful," The Doctor grinned as he turned a crank on the console. "Everybody hold on!"

**Okay, so we still don't know who the aliens are, but we now know that there is someone who knows! But who is that?**


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Okay, enough of the stringing along. Bring on the monsters! Maybe...  
**_

The TARDIS touched down and Rose was still glaring at him. "What?"

"Oh, nothing, just _France_…" Rose turned away from him.

He looked over at Mickey who arched and eyebrow.

"Right, well, we're here in a different century, if that helps…" His hand went to the back of his neck.

Jack interrupted what was on its way to becoming the most dangerous one in the history of the universe. "Well, let's go and see what we need to see."

"Actually, it's more of a _who_ that we need to see," the Doctor turned to him and winked.

Rose saw it, but said nothing. She gathered up his coat to hand to him. "Well then, let's get going."

Knowing that Dominic was safe within the confines of the TARDIS, the four adults that were in the room walked out the door to find the only person who could answer the question.

The Doctor and Rose were walking ahead in complete silence. Jack and Mickey followed. "What is that about?" Jack asked.

"Long story – but it all comes back to _the other woman_, if you know what I mean…" Mickey looked at Jack for a moment.

Jack made a face back at him, "He never really was good at that."

They lapsed into silence as they walked along. They were passing plain houses, houses very unlike the one that Reinette had lived in. Finally, they go to the one that the Doctor was looking for. "We're here!" He reached for the knocker.

There was a moment before the door opened and before them was a young woman. She looked at the group for a bit before talking. "May I help you?"

The Doctor tried to peer around her and flashed the Psychic Paper at her. "Looking for Dorothy."

"She isn't here. Left talking about Perivale – we'd never heard of it." She slammed the door in the Doctor's face without another word.

He looked back at the others, "So – on to Perivale. Not sure when, but the TARDIS will know. Come on."

They followed him back aboard the TARDIS to wait out the trip. There was a lot of murmuring amongst them, wondering just who they were looking for. Rose wandered off to see what was going on with Dominic. She found him in a giant nursery room; her mother and Lowell were with him. Rose smiled as she saw her son swinging from part of the TARDIS made to look like a climbing structure. There were beautiful rope swings from the ceiling and a little waterfall in the corner with a small wading pool.

"Looks like we're being taken care of!" Jackie said, waving Rose over to where she sat watching the boys over a book.

"Looks like." Rose answered, sitting beside her mother.

Jackie leaned close to her. "Rose, darling, do you really think it's safe to have Dom in this thing?"

Rose's mouth dropped open. "Mum! He's safer here than anywhere else."

"It's not that, it's just that when you are here, there is always some alien trying to get you. Not the best thing for my grandson…"

"I can't even believe this! Would you rather I leave him with you? It's bad enough that he can't go to a normal doctor! And you can't send him to school! Oh, no. You want me to stay with you and Dominic…" She covered her mouth with her hands.

"Honey, we've been fine for the past three years, why does that have to change?" She searched her eyes. "Because he's back now, isn't he? And how long will it be this time? How long before he gets tired of playing at parenting? Once he realizes that you can't go everywhere with a child…"

"It's not like that!" Rose was talking harshly to her mother, but not shouting – never shouting in front of Dominic. "He loves me – he loves Dominic. He's just not like that!"

"You'll see, Rose Tyler, they all get tired of it…"

Rose stood up and walked out, no other words to say to her mother. The Doctor wasn't like that – not one bit. She made a mental note to ask him more about how he felt about this later. After this crisis. She was thinking of ways to talk to him as she came into the console room to find the three of them standing around looking at the jumpseat. She frowned and pushed her way into the semi-circle. The Doctor jumped up from where he was sitting and put an arm loosely around Rose's shoulder.

"This is Ace, Rose." He motioned with his head to the girl sitting. She didn't look much older than drinking age, if she was at all. Her dark hair was pulled back into a bun and she wore a skirt and shirt with trainers. Rose wrinkled her nose a bit and waved a feeble wave in her direction. "She is the one that can help us."

"Nice to meet you, Ace," Rose all but spat out. First there had been Sarah Jane, and that in itself was a slap in the face of reality – but here he was with another one! And this one was a young girl still! "Doctor, a word?"

"Right, you lot get to know each other – Jack, not so close, she has to have room to breathe – and I'll be right back," The Doctor was positively giddy as he excused himself. "What is it, Rose?"

She pulled him into the doorway. "What is _she_ doing here?"

"Ace?"

"Yup, that'd be the 'her' I mean."

"Well, she's good at this." He felt the foot going into his mouth as he spoke but could do nothing.

"And I'm chopped liver, I suppose…" Her hands went to her hips now, and her head was held in just that one way that indicated that she was having none of it.

"No, it's not that – it's that she's fought…" He began a laundry list. "Cybermen…"

"Check."

"…Daleks…"

"Check."

"…seen echoes of her past…"

"My own father died in my arms."

"…uhhh…" A sudden thought dawned on the Doctor. "Rose! You have to talk to Ace!"

"Oh, right, right! Get to know her so I can't hate her? No thanks!" She started down the hallway to the kitchen.

The Doctor watched her for a moment, thinking, before sprinting ahead of her. "No, you need to talk to her – you have a few things in common. A few things that might be able to solve just what is going on here…"

**Okay, so still no aliens and no answers – sorry about that, but we had to pick up someone who might be able to help us – no worries. We'll be fine now. That is, if the brain pixies don't hi-jack the story again! LOL**


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Still own nothing except the ideas and concepts put together, hasty as those may be. Really, guys, this started out simple, but a plot monkey keeps throwing me bananas. Really good bananas. The kind that grow in a grove in **__**Villengard. I should know, I've been there twice – not that anyone believes me…**_

A few moments later, Rose and Ace were seated at the table in the small kitchen on the TARDIS. Dominic was winding around her legs, playing with another of his cars.

"Daleks? With a bat?!" Rose was clutching her side in laugher. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinkin' that I needed to get the hell outta there!" Ace tipped her cup to drink.

The two of them shared a giggle, then, got suddenly quiet. "Do you ever miss him?"

"Seriously?" Ace leaned in closer. Rose nodded. "All the time. How can you just go back to normal?"

Ace leaned back in her chair and regarded Rose. She knew how she felt. But he had come back for Rose, hadn't he? What made her so special?

"You can't." Rose answered, shooing Dominic away from her cup. "There is no such thing as normal after the Doctor. I tried."

"Tell me about it." Ace patted the boy on the head as he came close to her. "Now, what are we going to do about this? How does he think that I know what is going on?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, he thinks there is a link between us. I dunno why…" Rose caught Jack looking at from the doorway. "Can I help you, Captain Harkness?"

His hand went to the back of his neck at the reality of being caught. "Uh, the Doc sent me to get Dominic here out of your way. He has something he wants to show him…"

Dominic heard his name and launched himself at Jack's legs. "Unca Jack!"

"Well, there's your answer." Rose deadpanned, arching an eyebrow at the man in the door. "Please don't let him get into too much trouble…"

Jack picked up the boy at his feet, "The Doc or Dom?"

"Take your pick!" Rose laughed and Ace joined in. Jack shook his head and looked at them for a moment, perplexed, before going down the hallway muttering something about Rose being nutters.

"Where were we?" She turned back to Ace then.

"We were trying to figure out how we both fit into this. I suppose we should start at the beginning."

Rose pushed her hair out of her face and sighed, "Good thing we're in a time traveling box, eh?"

"Yeah, and I think we're going to need more tea," Ace added. "The stories of the Professor and I are long and, to admit, at times, boring."

"I'll bet I can top them!" Rose issued a challenge as she set another pot on.

"It's a deal!" Ace agreed, launching into her first story. "When I first met the Professor, I was on Svartos. He picked me up when he lost his last companion. I was sooo far from home and didn't really know how I go there. He was there, though, and I couldn't resist."

"Did he tell you to run?" Rose was suddenly interested in the most minute of details.

Ace thought for a moment. "Sometimes."

"He says it a lot now." She let her mind drift for a bit. "What is it about us that is so alike?"

"Well, a little bit of girl-talk over some ice cream and movies might do the trick," Ace suggested.

"I agree," Rose smiled. "Besides, the boys have Dominic with them, I don't see the harm in it. You know where the theater is?"

"No, I hate to say it." She was a little embarrassed.

"All right, come on then!" Rose led her out of the kitchen and down the hallway, the two of them chattering the whole while like good friends.

Meanwhile, the Doctor had Dominic under the console, showing him the inner workings of the TARDIS. He kept sneaking looks at the boy, watching the way he lovingly touched the parts as the Doctor described them. Never, once, had he dreamed that he would be watching one of his own under this panel ever again. It was a moment that was broken by Jack and Mickey getting in a shouting match over who was going to be the first out of the TARDIS. The Doctor banged his head as he crawled out, warning Dominic before he left, just to stay there and not to touch anything. The boy agreed, smiling at him.

"What is going on out here?" The Doctor surfaced, looking at the guilty parties.

"Well, he started it!" Mickey pouted, pointing at Jack. Jack crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his tongue out.

"Oh, stop it – both of you! _I_ will be the first out of the TARDIS – as always. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to my son." On his way there, he saw Ace coming toward him and changed his course.

"Professor, can you help me? Rose and I are looking for the theater – and – well, we can't find it…" She laughed a little.

"Sure thing – Mickey – watch Dominic for me?" The Doctor called out before leaving the room.

But Mickey didn't hear. Mickey, by now, had on in his headphones and was rocking out to his iPod.

**Oh no! Mickey messed up without even knowing. How is this going to turn out?**


	15. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Okay, so there is nothing about this that I own the further I seem to get into it – I am borrowing left and right here! Hope that all my research efforts are not wasted.**_

"Where is Dom?" The Doctor looked around the console room, confused. "Jack, did you see Dom?"

Jack looked up from where he was talking to Ace, who had just come back into the room after her talk with Rose. "Whu? No, I thought he was with you."

The Doctor looked under the console, where they had been poking and prodding earlier. He wasn't there. He was frantic as he pulled his head out of the space and looked around again. Mickey was unpacking his bag, and there was no child hovering him asking questions and hopping from foot to foot. He ran his hand through his hair and thought for a bit. Rose was _not_ going to like this. That was it! Rose must know where he was!

He sprinted down the hallway and literally ran into Rose. The first thing he noticed was that there was no small child orbiting her. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"To the kitchen…I …need…tea?" The Doctor stalled, looking around her to see if the boy was somewhere.

She eyed him suspiciously, "Right. On my way to check on Dominic."

"Yeah, Yeah," his brain suddenly went frantic. "He's fine, no need to worry." He started to steer her back the way she had come from.

"Okay, bring him 'round in a bit so he can have lunch, all right?" Rose looked back at him as her pushed her down the hall.

"Right, right." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and ran back to the console room, hands on his head. "Jack! I need you!"

Jack all but ran to where the Doctor stood. "What is it, Doc?"

He pulled himself close enough to whisper to him. "Jack, have you seen Dominic?"

Jack looked around with a quick sweep. "No, should I?"

The Doctor faced him then, "Jack, where is my son?" He swallowed hard.

Jack watched the tears start to pool in the other mans eyes. "Doc, don't worry. I'll go ask Rose and…"

Jack felt a hand on his arm. "No! Rose can't know. She thinks he's with me…"

"Oh man," Jack ran a hand through his hair. "I'll look. He has to be here somewhere." He started looking around earnestly. "And don't worry. We'll find him."

"Thanks, Jack." The Doctor hugged the man quickly and went to the console to see if he could track Dominic.

Jack walked back over to Ace and leaned in close to her. "You seen the kid?"

Ace looked up at him, "He's gone?"

"Yeah." Jack reached down to play with her hair, making it appear as if nothing were wrong.

"Do you think it has something to do with what is going on?" Ace smiled up as she asked.

"I'm sure of it." Jack leaned in closer. "Did you and Rose figure out what you had in common?"

"I think so. Wanted to talk to the Doctor, but now's not a good time, is it?"

"Actually, I think now is the best time. I'll go with you." Jack led her over to where the Doctor was standing.

The Doctor was peering into the screen on the console, glasses on, when they approached him. He was frantically trying to read the symbols that flashed before him.

"Anything?" Jack asked, leaning on the panel.

The Doctor sighed and looked at the two standing before him. "You?"

"Well, I'll let Ace tell you. I'm going to go and find Rose, keep her busy." Jack waved as he left the room. Mickey followed him, remarking that some tea would be wonderful.

The Doctor never moved his eyes from the screen as he spoke. "What did you find out, Dorothy?"

"Don't do that, Professor." She half-jokingly warned. "It's possible that I know what happened to Dominic."

He suddenly turned to her, no longer thinking about anything but the news he could give her.

"Professor, do you know what Rose and I have in common?"

"Well, the Daleks, the Cybermen, traveling with a devilishly handsome Time Lord…" He was trying to make light of the situation, even now.

"No, it's more. Do you remember what we learned about me? The day that I met my mother?" She watched for recognition in his eyes.

The Doctor thought for a moment, then began to shake his head in disbelief. "No, it can't be. He can't come back! It's too soon! I hid that flask!"

"I'm afraid so, Professor." Ace put a hand on his arm. "And now, he has your son."

"NO!" The Doctor slumped to the floor. "How can I tell Rose?"

**Okay – so there we are – we know that he knows what is going on. You might too. Let's see in the next chapter, shall we? (Feel free to make speculations – I like that!)**


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Still not mine. But, as far as I can tell, I am doing this for a number of people, including LeChaton, Jessica L'Rynn, The Yank and the Brit, zombieegirl, searchingtheskiesforyoux, and nathandotca – who are watching this with what I hope is interest. And, also, NewDrWhoFan, sapphire-rouged, blancmange, Mini Librarian, GSRgirlforever, LadyGreer, and lou – thanks for the encouragement. It's what keeps me coming back to the keyboard. So, without further interruption, here is the next chapter!**_

Rose stared at the Time Lord, her eyes darting back and forth to look in his. "This is not funny."

"I don't mean it to be, Rose." He grabbed her by the upper arms, noticing that her knees had gone a little weak at the news. "This is very, very serious."

She looked at him, her mouth set in a hard line, not wanting to believe at all what she had told him. She looked quickly at Jack, who was standing behind the Doctor and to the left. "Jack, this just isn't funny. Go get Dom and bring him to me. Now."

He stepped forward and took her hand. "Rose this isn't a joke. What he says is the truth."

She looked for confirmation from Ace, who just looked at the floor. "No, you…no. This is not happening. Not now." She sucked in a breath and began to talk with her hands. "YOU!" She batted the Doctor's hands away. "What has happened to our son?!"

"Rose, I…I…I…I just don't know – but we'll find him, I promise you that!" He tried to take her arms again, but she slapped him away. He backed away from her and let Jack take her in his arms.

"Jack, find my baby, yeah? He's probably scared." Rose readily leaned into the other man.

"I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry," the Doctor mumbled into his sleeve as tears started to stream down his cheeks.

Rose heard him and spun to face him. "You don't get that right! Find my son!"

"Our son," the Doctor challenged. "Dominic is _our_ son."

"Don't talk to me." She turned back into Jack's chest and began to sob heavily. "Just don't!"

"Rose, Honey. We'll do everything we can to find him, I promise." He wrapped his arms around her.

The Doctor looked at the floor for a moment before starting down the hall to the kitchen. He needed to sit before he fell apart. On the way there, he ran into Mickey, who was holding a sandwich and bopping along to his iPod still. "And what happened to what I asked you to do?!" The Doctor spat out.

Mickey looked around to see whom he was talking to before popping out a headphone. "Sorry?"

"I told you to keep an eye on him!" He pointed back down the way he had come.

Mickey looked where he was pointing and then back at the Doctor. "Keep an eye on who?"

"Dominic! When I left the room, I told you to keep an eye on him!" He was shouting now.

"Didn't hear ya, sorry." Mickey tried to continue his path, but the Doctor put out his hand.

"Dominic is missing."

"Missing? As in gone?" Mickey could not believe what he was hearing.

"Missing." The Doctor nodded in affirmation.

"But how?"

"That's what we need to find out."

"Does Rose know?"

The Doctor nodded sadly, remembering.

They stood in silence for a moment before Mickey excused himself. The Doctor watched him go and slumped against the nearest wall, feeling like nothing would ever be right again. Why had he found Rose and Dominic only to lose one of them? He was crying again when he heard footsteps. Two sets. Coming his way. He looked up only when he felt himself being looked at.

"I need to know." It was Rose, and she sat beside him, letting him lean on her. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and it hurt him to look at her.

He put his arms around her. "Need to know what?"

"I told her, Prof-Doctor. You have to tell her the rest." Ace shuffled her feet, wondering if she should even be there.

"You're right, Ace, why don't you go find the others. Help them understand." The Doctor dismissed his former companion.

He heard her walk away as he turned to Rose. "You absorbed the Heart of the TARDIS. You were going to die. I took it in – that's why you have me now, not the serious bloke I used to be."

"But that's not all is it?" Rose was daring him to keep anything from her that would prevent her from seeing her son again. "There's much more."

He swallowed. She had to know about Jack coming back to life, right? "Rose, you are the Bad Wolf, or you were. There still might be a little in there. Oh, this is all my fault!" He started to choke up.

"How is this your fault, exactly?" Rose was distancing herself from him, trying to make heads or tails of the whole situation.

"You see, about three regenerations ago, I was traveling with Ace. We ran into a bit of trouble. Well, when I say 'we' I mean it had more to do with her than me, but I was there to help everything turn out." He realized he was wandering and brought himself back. "To make this short, I imprisoned this…this…_creature_ in a flask and hid it away, so I thought. It came back. Now I think it may be trying to get its revenge on me for sending it away again. That's what we think happened to Dom."

She shook her head. "But how does Dorothy tie into this?"

"Ace, call her Ace – she hates Dorothy. And she was affected by the curse of Fenric. A wolf." He watched her face for signs of understanding. There was a moment, and then her hand went to her mouth.

"He took my baby because I looked in the TARDIS? I did that because she told me to! She said it would save you!" Rose began to hit him as she spoke.

He held her hands in front of her gently. "Rose, you have got to believe that I will stop at nothing to get him back. We're it. We're all there is – no more Time Lords. This is so important to me, you have to know that."

She nodded, tears filling her eyes again. "Mum is going to say she knew this would happen…"

"Sod your mum! I'll handle her; I'm not afraid of Jackie Tyler…anymore." He hugged Rose tightly again before he helped her to her feet.

They were walking back to where the others were when Jack ran to get them. "Doc, Rose! The TARDIS is picking up a signal!"

The Doctor patted his pockets and looked at Rose before turning to Jack. "BRILLIANT! That's my boy!"

"What's going on?" Rose asked, confused.

"Yeah, Doc, what's going on?" Jack asked, rubbing his chin.

"My sonic screwdriver is gone! Dominic must have slipped it out of my pocket when we were looking under the console!" The Doctor pulled both of them into a hug. "And the screwdriver is letting us know where it is! Come on, let's go find him!"

The wasted no time in getting back to the console to see where the frequency was coming from.

**A little longer this time – but now we know who/what has Dominic! But how are they going to get him back? Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER: **_**I wish that I owned the characters, but sadly, no. But I do still own the thoughts here. Yay!**_

"It can't be!" The Doctor exclaimed suddenly, causing Ace to jump a little. "How?"

"What's wrong, Doc?" Jack asked, hating to look up from Ace, who he had been chatting with for a bit now.

"Nothing is wrong, but these readings are coming from Torchwood. But not your Torchwood. This cannot be good." He looked at the Captain.

Rose was beside him in a flash, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. But, when she looked at the screen, all she could see was a mess of symbols that she supposed were pure Gallifreyan. She turned away and went back to biting her nails.

"Doc, how is this right? Dominic was just here less than an hour ago. How did he get…oh…" Jack noticed the location of the beacon as Torchwood One.

"That's right, Jack, we're in for an adventure!" He turned a bit manic as he turned to the others. "Who's with me?"

Ace grinned and went to stand by Jack. "Count me in! I got my pack all ready!"

"Splendid – ooo – remind me not to use that again – but, Ace, no Nitro-9, yeah?" He looked from her to Jack and back again, sensing there was something going on between them.

"I can't promise anything," she said cheekily. "Drastic times require drastic measures…"

He rolled his eyes at her and turned his attention to Jack. "You game?"

"Always!" Jack laughed, this time, putting an arm around Ace. "Mickey? You in?"

Mickey looked at the rest of the group. "I just don't know. I think…"

Rose cut him off. "No, he's in." Mickey looked over at her. "That's right, we're all in. All but Mum and Lowell."

"Now, Rose," the Doctor started, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go out there…"

"Seriously? You're telling me I can't go find my own son?" Rose's eyes took on a dark look, despite the fact they seemed to be glowing. "I don't think so."

"Doc, you better listen to her," Jack warned.

"I guess I better just," he agreed, going to Rose to put an arm around her and kiss her on the cheek.

They all looked around at each other in agreement and began to form a plan.

"Jack, you have clearance?" The Doctor asked.

"Uh, I might, but it's tricky. I was around then. At least I didn't have dealings with Torchwood London very often around that time. But Ianto was there. Hey! Maybe that's my in!" Jack thought for a moment and snapped his fingers, turning to Ace. "Wanna play Torchwood with me?"

Her face lit up. "Sounds like fun, Captain."

"Please, it's Jack…"The famous Harkness smirk showed at the corners of his mouth.

"Stop it…" the Doctor warned.

"I was only correcting Dorothy, Doc…" he tried not to smile as he spoke, knowing he had been caught.

Ace punched him in the arm. "It's Ace."

"Right. Sorry 'bout that." Jack had to admit that she packed a bit of strength behind her. He was glad he had chosen her for his team. And let a wink out before he could stop himself.

"Back to the plan?" Rose cleared her throat. "Do we know what we are going to do?"

The Doctor patted her on the back. "Simple – he's going to know who we are, so we go in this together. Jack and Ace are working together and Mickey is our…"

"Tin dog?" He moaned.

"I was going to say Man in Havana, but if you prefer…" his expression was more than a little bemused.

"No, that's okay." Mickey scowled. "Where do you want me?"

"Man on the street. Keep your cell close." The Doctor turned to the others. "Rose – you go tell your Mum we are taking Dominic to some boring art gallery for some sightseeing. Jack, Ace – you guys have a plan, right?"

"I think I may have a few," Jack confirmed.

"On how to get into Torchwood?"

"Yeah, that too." He smiled at the other man.

"Great! The wardrobe is at your disposal. You have five minutes – everyone, this is going to be hard, but I want to thank you right now." The Doctor was suddenly silent. "The best I can figure, this is right before things started getting bad. We are before the Battle. Don't hint that there is going to be anything like that. I mean it."

Everyone went off to get ready, save for Rose and the Doctor.

"We're going to find him right?" Rose asked, a little unsure of the task at hand.

"Yes." The one word the Doctor spoke was all she needed to hear.

**Urgh. I have to share with ya'll that this chapter was fueled by black coffee, Bread and Anne Murray. For some reason, that was what was playing a lot on the 70's music channel today. Very odd mood to write a story in, let me tell you!**


	18. Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Woke up this morning with the hopes that I owned Dr Who. Boy, was I disappointed. Oh well, I still have my friends, which now include girl.withthehazeleyes and Lady Clark-Weasley of Books! Oh, and thanks Mini Librarian for helping me with a tough choice. Hope everyone enjoys this little ride!**_

"You have got to be joking!" Rose looked at the outfit that Jack was wearing.

"What's wrong with it?" Jack asked, his feelings a bit hurt.

"Nothing. But, it's so…so…NOT Jack Harkness!" Her jaw was dropping at the sight of him in a pair of jeans. And the casual look he had going with a short-sleeved button-up and no bracers (!) was making her head hurt a bit. But it was the hair that did it for her.

"That's because I'm not _supposed_ to be Jack Harkness, smarty." Jack stuck his tongue out at her.

"And, I must say, you don't look half like him at all!" The Doctor came in the room in usual dress, circling the man before him, pausing only to pat the spikes Jack had made in his usually perfectly placed hair. "Good job. But where is Ace?"

As if on queue, she appeared in the doorway. "Not one word, not one laugh, or you will all eat Nitro-9!" She walked into the room, her hair pulled into a tight bun. There were glasses perched on her nose and she was carrying a briefcase instead of her usual rucksack.

"Wow, you look fantastic!" Jack was practically drooling on himself at the first sight of her. "Love the suit – but I was _always_ a sucker for a well-cut suit on the right person."

"Thanks," she found herself blushing a little. "And call me Dorothy. That's what the ID the TARDIS supplied me with says."

Both the Doctor and Jack hid behind their hands to laugh, not caring if the action earned them a punch.

"And you are?" Ace extended a hand to Jack.

The man looked at the badge he had been supplied and rolled his eyes before clipping it on and taking the hand he was offered. "Dorian Gray," he said flatly.

Another laugh and there was a warm feeling as if the TARDIS was laughing along.

"That isn't going to fool anyone!" Ace laughed, all but slapping her knee.

"And," Jack read from her badge, "Dorothy…Gale is? Auntie Em, it's a twister, it's a twister…" He was pantomiming being caught in a tornado.

Her eyes were hard as she stared him down, hands on her hips. The Doctor's face went suddenly concerned and Jack realized no one else was laughing.

"Like to know what death by Nitro-9 feels like, _Dorian_?" No hint of teasing was in her voice.

"What?" He was handsome, yes – but also quite clueless. He looked to the Doctor for an answer.

The Doctor tugged his ear for a bit as he cleared his throat before supplying a helpful tidbit of information. "At'sthay erhay ealray amenay, Ackjay…or should I say – _Orianday_?"

Ace was still staring him down when he turned to her to apologize. "I…I didn't know," he flashed her the trademark Harness grin, hoping that would help.

She seemed to think for a moment. "I guess you didn't." He relaxed. "But don't do it again. And don't think for one minute that _you_," she pointed at Jack, "or _any_ of you," more pointing, "can call me Dorothy any other time. It's Ace. Got that?"

Her point was clear and everyone found themselves nodding in agreement.

"Now, what is this terribly brilliant plan that I am sure you have?" The Doctor rubbed his hands together in expectation.

"Well, we thought we would get all dressed up and go to Torchwood One." Jack answered, leaning in a bit conspiratorily.

"I like it, I like it. Then?" The Doctor leaned toward him as well.

"That's it." Jack leaned back and looked questioningly down at Ace to bail him out.

"I'm much better when I am _in_ the situation," she defended.

"Well, going to have to trust you on that, aren't we?" He turned to Rose, slipping an arm around her waist. "And I guess we have to do about the same – just go in there. We're the cover so that Jack and Ace can get in. They'll only be expecting us."

"And me?" Mickey piped up from where he was standing.

"Right." The Doctor turned to him. "Your job is to just be there. We all have phones on us, so you can contact us at any time. I have them programmed into the phone," he tossed him a cell phone, "all on speed dial. Any funny stuff – and you know what I mean – you call one or more of us. All right?"

Mickey nodded and mumbled something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like _Don't see why I'm half needed._

There was a collective sigh as everyone realized just how important this was. They looked at one another one last time before Jack and Ace set out. Mickey was close behind. The Doctor and Rose were left by themselves for a moment.

"I can defeat Daleks for you, then I can sure as hell defeat whatever this is for Dominic." Rose held her head high, but he could see tears that were threatening to fall out.

"That's my Rose," was the only answer that he could give. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, "Always."

He wiggled his fingers at her and, holding hands tightly, they left the TARDIS, off in search of whatever had taken their son.

**Okay, so that was just so I could play with the characters and see if they had a plan – which, of course, they did not. It ought to be fun seeing how this goes, don't you think?**


End file.
